Leg Of Lamb

About

Leg of lamb is the leg meat of a sheep that is less than one year old when butchered. Leg of lamb can be cooked whole or divided into two parts: the sirloin, the upper half of the leg including hip bone, and shank, the lower half. The cooking method is generally roasting; final internal temperature should reach 145 degrees for medium rare meat or 160 degrees for medium. Take the lamb out of the oven when it is 5 degrees below desired temperature and let stand 15 minutes.

Selecting and Buying

Choosing: The leg of lamb should be moist and velvety to the touch. The firm, fine-grained meat should have white fat. Though the meat should be deep red in color, very young lamb will have a paler tone.

Buying: Buy leg of lamb only from a source you trust, be it a supermarket, your local butcher, farmers' market, or online. Learn where your meat came from, how it was reared and slaughtered -- they hugely affect how your meat tastes.

Preparation and Use

Conserving and Storing

If the leg is vacuum-packed, retain the packaging and note the date of expiration printed on the package. Otherwise, remove the wrapping and place the lamb on a container at the bottom of the refrigerator. The container should catch any drip. Ensure that the leg is placed some distance away from other foods in the ref.

Social/Political

Wikipedia says, "According to Jewish Kosher law, sheep may be eaten but as with cows, they must be killed while conscious and the sciatic nerve, as well as certain types of fat on the back half of the animal, may not be eaten. This makes certain cuts, such as leg or steaks, very difficult to produce in some countries. Thin strips of fatty mutton can be cut into a substitute for bacon called macon. Similar rules apply for the Islamic dietary code, known as Halal."